How to Get Rid of a Sunburn Naturally

Have you ever gone to the beach to catch a few rays and came back home looking like a human-sized lobster? Beaches are so relaxing and so much fun, it is easy to spend too much time with your skin unprotected. Prolonged exposure to ultraviolet rays can result in premature aging and skin cancer, so protecting your skin is of significant importance. If already have a burn, take heart, there are several effective ways to reduce the redness and pain in a short amount of time. Get rid of your sunburn naturally today!

1. A Cool Shower.

It won’t get rid of the symptoms permanently, but a long shower in cool water will feel wonderful. Your skin temperature will decrease, helping to ease the burn symptoms, and your whole body will relax. While it may be tempting, do not make the water too cold; if a cold shower is already difficult for you to stand, imagine the effect when your skin is hotter than usual! You can also apply cold compresses to your face and other burned areas.

2. Use Lotions.

There are a number of commercially available natural lotions designed to reduce the symptoms of sunburn. The most effective ones replenish and repair damaged and dead skin cells. These lotions are usually also fortified with vitamins, such as A, C or D3, which also help to soften skin. They can also prevent unsightly peeling, allowing you to maintain that tan you suffered to get.

Other recommended lotions are ones made completely from Aloe Vera. In use since the time of the Egyptians, Aloe Vera is a cactus plant that secretes a clear gel. When applied to the skin, this gel has effective healing properties and helps to combat sunburn. Note, however, that some Aloe Vera products also contain alcohol, which can be hard on the skin, so shop around or take the liquid directly from the stalk of an Aloe Vera plant yourself.

For best results, try buying an Aloe Vera plant so that you can make this step as natural as possible. They are not very expensive to buy and they are also easy to maintain.

If natural Aloe Vera is not available to you, Coconut Lotion does not dry out the skin and also soothes the discomfort of sunburn. The oil helps to heal damaged cells and replenishes oil that was lost. It also works on reducing the redness and the chances of peeling.

3. Use Some Tea Bags.

If you would like to save money and stay away from commercially produced products, even if they are natural in make, there are several methods you can try at home. Regular and natural teas are well loved for their ability to encourage relaxation and can also help with your enflamed skin.

Steep several tea bags in hot water, let them cool, and then apply the bags to your skin. The tea itself can also perform the same function when it has reached room temperature and both methods reduce inflammation and pain.

4. Apple Cider Vinegar.

Apple Cider Vinegar also works at decreasing inflammation. Soaking a washcloth in apple cider vinegar and applying it to the skin or mixing it into bathwater is a good way to provide parched skin with some relief. However, prolonged exposure can also dry skin out, so supplement this method with a sunburn lotion.

5. Sliced Cucumbers.

Cucumbers are regularly part of facial treatments thanks to their abundant nutrients and antioxidant properties. They are also a great ally in the fight against sunburn as they soothe and cool inflamed skin most effectively. Apply slices of cucumber to affected areas of your skin and leave them on for several minutes. You can also use a blender to create cucumber paste, which allows for most thorough coverage of scorched areas.

6. Lettuce Try Something Else.

Another vegetable with anti-inflammatory properties is lettuce. Like cucumber, lettuce is largely water and that helps your skin cool off wonderfully. Apply pieces of lettuce to your skin and leave them on for several minutes. You can also boil lettuce to create lettuce water; once cool, apply this solution using a washcloth.

7. The spud, of course!

Out of lettuce and cucumbers? Try a potato! Cut a potato into slices and rub them gently on reddened sections of your skin. You can also grind raw potatoes up into paste and apply it.

8. Cooling Yogurt.

Applying yogurt to burns also helps to reduce the pain and promote healing. Apply unflavored, probiotic yogurt to your burn, let it sit on your skin for several minutes, and then rinse it off.

9. Milk Bath.

In addition to a cooling water bath, try bathing in milk. Milk contains lactic acid, which helps moisturize and exfoliate your skin. If you cannot afford the cost or inconvenience of filling up an entire bathtub with milk, apply some to a washcloth and gently rub it over your skin. The sun burns the protein out of your skin and milk is an excellent way to put some of it back.

10. Re-hydrate.

In addition to the redness and pain, sunburn also dehydrates you. In addition to your regular water intake, try drinking a few extra pints for the first several days following exposure. If you grow tired of water, substitute different types of juice and/or sports drinks. The extra fluid will not return your skin to its regular color, but will help you to feel better in another effective way.

11. Skip the Make-up.

If your face has been burned, avoid putting anything on it that is not designed to treat the sunburn. This includes all forms of make-up, acne medication, and any other lotions you regularly use. Give your skin a chance to breathe and heal.

12. Visit Your Doctor.

If you had no success with the natural methods suggested above and are still feeling quite uncomfortable, make an appointment with your doctor. Sometimes it is best to seek additional treatments if natural remedies are letting you down.

Sunburn does not usually necessitate medical intervention, but there are exceptions. One tell-tale sign of trouble is a fever, which can indicate a case of heatstroke. If you are at all unsure, do not risk your well-being: make an appointment with a professional.

And that’s how you get rid of sunburn naturally. Follow the above steps to find out which one works best for you. There are several natural ways you can get your skin healthy again. Get back to your natural self quickly and easily!